This is an exceptional example of a U.S. Third Model Winchester-Hotchkiss Bolt-Action Musket with U.S. inspection and property marks. The Ordnance Department purchased an undetermined but limited quantity of Third Model Winchester-Hotchkiss Muskets circa 1883-1899. The musket has a distinctive two-piece stock with six-shot tubular magazine in the buttstock. The barrel has a block front sight and buckhorn style folding leaf rear sight. The barrel, forearm cap, barrel bands and small components are blued. The bolt is polished bright and the receiver, trigger guard and buttplate are color casehardened. The stock and forearm are oil finish, straight grain, American walnut. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped: "- MANUFACTURED BY THE/- WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A.-" ahead of the middle barrel band. "-MODEL 1883-" is roll-stamped on the upper receiver tang. The Winchester-Hotchkiss patent dates are roll-stamped on the lower tang in three lines. "U.S." is stamped on the left side of the barrel just ahead of the receiver, on the left side of the receiver and on the heel of the buttplate. Small "D.F.C." Ordnance sub-inspection marks are stamped on the left side of the receiver below the "U.S." property mark, the bolt, the left side of the barrel, the forearm just ahead of the receiver and the bottom of the stock behind the lower receiver tang. An encircled "VP" proof mark is stamped between the "U.S." property mark and "D.F.C." sub-inspection mark on the left side of the barrel. An Ordnance final inspection mark which consists of three script initials in a rectangle is stamped on the left stock wrist. A small, script, "P" proof mark is stamped on the underside of the stock behind the tang.

Excellent. The musket is all original and shows only light storage wear. At least 95% of the original blue and color casehardened finish remain. The receiver and trigger guard have vivid case colors. The buttplate has a rust spot at the heel but retains 85% of the case colors. The barrel, forearm cap and barrel bands retains nearly all of the blue finish. The stock and forearm are both in excellent condition; wear is limited to a few, scattered and very minor storage marks. This is an excellent example of a scarce, U.S. inspected, Winchester Model 1883 Bolt Action rifle that would be hard to improve upon.